Review: The Duke of Daring (The Untouchables #2) by Darcy Burke

Print Length:

Publisher: Darcy Burke (July 5, 2016)

From Goodreads.com: Miss Lucinda Parnell is out of money, a dismal failure at the Marriage Mart, and she’d just as soon leave Society far behind. Desperate to earn funds to retire with her grandmother to the country, Lucy disguises herself as a man to gamble in London’s hells. But the Earl of Dartford, an Untouchable she never imagined speaking to let alone spending time with, is onto her in a trice. When he insists on joining her, Lucy fears her desire to remain an independent woman is destined to go up on flames. 

As a boy, Andrew Wentworth, Earl of Dartford lost his family to illness, leaving him a hollow shell. Obsessed with conquering one adventure after another to fill the bitter holes inside of him, Andrew has set his sights on parachuting. Nothing will stop him from trying to achieve his goal—not the hazard of death and certainly not a woman who’s gotten far too close. Love is the one risk he doesn’t have the heart to dare.

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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I was lucky enough to also be selected to review the first novel in this series, The Forbidden Duke, which I not only very much enjoyed - but which also left me with very high expectations for this series as whole. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. 

The Duke of Daring was a completely new set of characters, while still holding true to the author's writing style. Yes, there was mention of some of the characters from the first novel, but not so much that it overshadowed the new set of circumstances. I especially liked the thought of our heroine donning not only male clothing - but an entirely masculine persona so well that she was able to slip into gaming hells and not be detected by everyone. 

I felt that all of the characters  in this story were strong and well developed - although I would have liked to have seen more of Andrew's ability to overcome his demons with Lucinda's help. I enjoyed watching their relationship bloom the more time they spent together, so I was severely disappointed in Andrew's actions (and treatment) of her after she did nothing but try and help him. I felt that that scene could have been a more pivotal one where the characters really bonded - but regardless the way the author choose to do it did not detract too overmuch from the story. 

Overall - I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a well written historical romance (and who doesn't mind a bit of hanky panky happening before marriage). 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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 The Duke of Daring is available from Amazon.com